This is out of order for the vacation diary, but a couple things have happened that are really upsetting, and I can’t put them off. In preparation for our trip to Kaua’i, I made a post on this site asking for recommendations for a helicopter touring company because I was concerned about safety. Dallas and his family would hear about helicopter crashes every year or so in Kaua’i and all had recommended against doing it, but we decided to anyway. Jeannette and Yvan recommended Inter-Island Helicopters to us. They looked reputable and were often involved in search-and-rescue missions and with putting out fires and stuff like that, so I booked a tour for me, Allison, Susan and John.
Last Monday, we went on the helicopter ride (I’ll have photos later). It was the scariest thing I’d ever done, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The views were phenomenal and we saw things we’d never see any other way. We all had a really great time. Our pilot Donald was a local guy. It came up in conversation that Dallas is from Waimea and Donald asked how old he is. I told him that Dallas is 30 and Donald said “that’s my age” but he wasn’t sure if they knew each other. Donald went to Waimea High, but Dallas went to Kamehameha on Oahu. Later on, when looking at the photos, Dallas said he didn’t recognize him. Anyway, because we had a local 
connection and some of us had been to Kaua’i before, Donald was really fun and personable and jokey with us. It helped make the experience even more great.
On Thursday we were in Oahu and watching the news when we heard that a helicopter crashed on Kaua’i that day. It was another company, but it was still pretty upsetting. I know that millions of people ride those helicopters between crashes but that the crashes make big news in the islands and maybe people are more scared than they should be.. but it was still too close for comfort. Just thinking about how all the people who were killed were on these brilliant vacations and how that all came to a tragic end. Plus the pilot was really experienced and couldn’t do anything. It was a hydraulic failure that caused the crash.
So now today, we’re back in Chicago and Dallas IMed me this morning. There was another crash yesterday. As I read the article my heart started racing. This crash was with the same company we flew with, Inter-Island Helicopters. And even more, not all of Inter-Island’s helicopters are the same and the crashed helicopter looked just like the one we flew in. And then I read it: The pilot was Donald. The Honolulu Advertiser wrote: “Helicopter pilot Donald Torres, a 30-year-old new father and local boy from Hanapepe, by all accounts did a heroic job yesterday of guiding an out-of-control helicopter with its tail rotor ripped off to the only open patch of ground in the Ha’ena area.” I had to rush off to a meeting, and the entire time in there I was freaking out. It was only after I got back to my desk that I realized that Donald is still alive at Wilcox Memorial Hospital. I felt a big relief that someone we’d just met hadn’t been killed, but still so much anxiety about the whole situation. The crash wasn’t Donald’s fault, it seems, and I think he did as well as he could to land the helicopter safely, even though one of his four passengers died as a result of the crash.
On our vacation, the helicopter ride was one of the best things ever, I’m not going to lie, but I don’t know now if it’s worth all the worry. Nothing against Donald or Inter-Island Helicopters, who are often called upon by Kaua’i officials to help in search-and-rescue missions, but I don’t think I’ll be doing a helicopter tour ever again!
I’m speechless Rachelle. There just are no words.
Unbelievably TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. I did one of these Kauai tours in early 2000 and it was both scary and exhilirating, but really, wow, way too close to when you flew.
donald was released from the hospital today
He was one good pilot if he could land the chopper with the tail rotor gone. Because you lose all control of the chopper it just wants to do spin in circles. Now you have a idea what your dad did while he was in Vietnam.
KHNL TV in Honolulu is seeking your support on a report on Pilot Donald Torres. May we borrow your photos? Some say he is a hero
Hey I remember you guys. But everything’s going here on the island. I’m doing good and last when I left the ER everybody was doing ok. But um well just wanted to let you guys know that I’m doing ok.
Mahalo Ke Akua
Donald Torres
We took a tour on Saturday, the day before this crash, and Donald was our pilot. Thank God he’s okay, and our deepest sympathies to the injured and to the family of the deceased.
Kit and Jenny
Hey, Donald – Thanks for checking in. We were wondering how to contact you to see if you were ok! I’m glad you are well.
My husband and I flew with Inter-Island Helicopter last year; we really enjoyed our pilot, who was about the same age as Donald, but was not originally from Hawaii. Does anyone know the names of the other Inter-Island pilots?
rachelle — good to have you back! i heard about a helicopter crash (the first, i guess), and i was scared for you.
question is this … why are crashes so prevalent? how did the tail rotor get torn off? so scary.
glad to hear that donald is okay, and my thoughts and prayers to all those sad and suffering.
Wow. We were just on an inter-island flight with donald a couple weeks ago…It was definitely a fantastic, memorable experience. Glad he’s ok.
My husband and I flew inter-island with Donald as our pilot on 2/11/07. We both found him to be very skilled at piloting his craft. I am not surprised he was able to land the helicopter as well as he did. We never felt at harm’s way during the whole trip. I would go again in a heartbeat and I am not exceptionally “brave”. Our prayers to the passengers of the flight, and their families. Also, to Donald, you are one hell of a good pilot. Don’t forget that.
We, too, flew with Don on our vacation to Kauai in February. We did the waterfall tour, and it was absolutely the highlight of our trip. I was really afraid before we got on the helicopter, but Don was so professional that I quickly relaxed and truly enjoyed the experience. He is really a wonderful pilot. Hope he is doing well, our prayers are with all of the passengers and their families.
We flew with inter-island on the same helicopter Thursday 3/8/07 the day of the first crash, when we heard, chills were flowing through my back! We were so thankful that we flew with inter-island, they are excellent pilots, but of course we cannot predict when a mechanical failure is going to happen! Our prayers are with all the families who have lost loved ones.
Nick and Kristin
answer to Michelle… Floyd Ingram is a tall, thin, dark hair / balding guy who flew in Afghanistan. He usually flies the flat black or dark grey helicopter. For more info see the Inter-Island Helicopters, Kauai pool at Yahoo Flickr.